Golf tip of the week: Calculating the proper tee height

RICK MUSSELMAN

For The Sun-Gazette

SUBMITTED PHOTO
A wood should strike the ball above the upper half of the clubface.

Teeing the golf ball to the proper height varies with each golfer. The rule of thumb is to tee up the ball with the equator of the golf ball aligned with the top line of the club.

Woods have a curved face, vertically and horizontally, known as bulge and roll. If the ball is teed too low, the trajectory will be too low; if the ball is teed too high, the ball will be struck on the top line of the clubface without getting the advantage of the spring effect, engineered into the club face.

Where you play the ball at address also must be calculated into the height factor.

For example, if you play the ball more up in your stance, you will need to tee the ball slightly higher than a golfer playing the ball back in his/her stance.